NEEDHAM, Mass. and NORWALK, Conn., Oct. 14, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) and The Priceline Group (NASDAQ:PCLN) today announced a strategic partnership whereby some of The Priceline Group's online travel brands will participate in TripAdvisor's instant booking platform. Within The Priceline Group, Booking.com will be the first brand to implement the partnership through its global network of accommodations, and in time, Priceline Group brands priceline.com and Agoda.com are likely to list inventory on the platform. Development work has already begun to support the integration of Priceline Group hotel properties, which are expected to be available on the instant booking platform soon.  

"Having The Priceline Group join the instant booking platform is a huge win for travelers and we couldn't be more thrilled to have them as our first strategic, global online travel agency partner," said Stephen Kaufer, president and CEO of TripAdvisor. "Millions of TripAdvisor users coming to the site to plan, compare prices and book their trip will be able to instantly book options from The Priceline Group's global hotel inventory in addition to the 235,000 properties that are already instantly bookable on TripAdvisor."

"TripAdvisor has been a long-time partner of The Priceline Group and today's announcement is part of the continued positive evolution of that relationship," said Darren Huston, President and CEO of The Priceline Group.  "Our mission is to help people experience the world, and we are constantly innovating how and where we engage with consumers to help them do this.  We now believe this branded channel can help introduce more customers to our brands and the experiences we provide." 

TripAdvisor first launched its instant booking platform to U.S. consumers in June 2014, with a gradual roll out to other international markets expected over time. The platform provides a seamless and efficient hotel booking experience for travelers.

How it will work with Priceline Group Inventory

With instant booking, travelers will be able to see Booking.com-branded hotel listings and can simply click on the "Book Now" button to book on TripAdvisor directly.  TripAdvisor will let consumers know that their hotel booking is being powered by Booking.com, and Booking.com representatives will handle all of the customer care related to the transaction.

About The Priceline Group

The Priceline Group (NASDAQ:PCLN) is the world leader in online travel and related services, provided to customers and partners in over 200 countries through six primary brands - Booking.com, priceline.com, Kayak, agoda.com, rentalcars.com, and OpenTable. The Priceline Group's mission is to help people experience the world. For more information, visit PricelineGroup.com.

About TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor^® is the world's largest travel site*, enabling travelers to plan and book the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers advice from millions of travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools that check hundreds of websites to find the best hotel prices. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching 375 million unique monthly visitors**, and more than 250 million reviews and opinions covering 5.2 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions. The sites operate in 45 countries worldwide.

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP) manages and operates websites under 23 other travel media brands: www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com (including www.lafourchette.com, www.eltenedor.com, www.iens.nl, www.besttables.com and www.dimmi.com.au), www.gateguru.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.travelpod.com, www.tripbod.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com, www.viator.com, and www.virtualtourist.com.

*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, July 2015

**Source: TripAdvisor log files, average monthly unique users, Q2 2015

CONTACT:
Kevin Carter
(781) 800-5237
kcarter@tripadvisor.com